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Two Motets, Op 29

Introduction

The Two Motets Op 29 are the earliest surviving works by Brahms in this particular genre. Composed in 1860, they were not published until 1864, shortly after their premiere in Vienna on 17 April, as part of a concert which also included a performance of the two-piano version of the F minor Piano Quintet, Op 34, given by Brahms and Carl Tausig.

‘Es ist das Heil uns kommen her’ is richly scored in five parts (divided basses), consisting of a chorale harmonization (cf Op 74 No 2), followed by an extended Allegro fugal setting based on the main chorale melody. Brahms alleviates the relatively conventional approach to harmony by the subtle use of a number of archetypal chromatic inflections, most potently in the final bars, intensified by their suspension over a tonic E pedal point in the bass.

‘Schaffe in mir, Gott’, also with divided basses, opens with a canon (Andante moderato) in augmentation; that is to say, whilst the sopranos sing their melody twice through, the basses simultaneously sing the identical melody but at half speed, the two parts finally meeting up at the end of the section. However, such is the resulting simplicity of musical utterance, that the casual listener would hardly be aware of this intellectual conceit. ‘Verwirf mich nicht’ (Andante espressivo) is texturally more complex, exhibiting a transcendental contrapuntal mastery. Particularly notable is the exhilarating effect caused by the canonic interplay between the sopranos and tenors just before the end of this section, sending both parts soaring up to a top A flat within a beat of each other. The following ‘Tröste mich’ (Andante) is another canon, this time overlapping horizontally at the distance of one bar, and vertically by the interval of a seventh, appearing initially between tenors and second basses. This leads directly into the final section (‘und der freudige’—Allegro) which, with its thrilling sequences of running thirds, ends the motet in a mood of resounding affirmation.

Recordings

'Baker and his choir do a fine job with these pieces. The conclusion to Schaffe in mir is wonderfully exciting … while the close to Geistliche ...'It is hard to imagine finer singing of these sacred scores from Brahms and Rheinberger than that from the Westminster Cathedral Choir. The Cathedral ...» More

There is salvation come to us,
To the merciful and the righteous.
His example is useless to those
Who have no desire to become blessed.
The faithful see Jesus Christ close by:
He has accomplished all of this for us,
He has become our Heavenly mediator.

The two unaccompanied motets of opus 29 were composed in the reverse order to that in which they appear in the list of Brahms’s works. Es ist das Heil uns kommen her (Op 29 No 1) was written in 1860 and begins the setting of its sixteenth-century text with a four-voice chorale. The chorale is followed by a five-voice fugal chorale-motet with the seven phrases of the chorale melody stated in the baritone part. Schaffe in mir, Gott (Op 29 No 2) was begun in 1856 and was described by Brahms as ‘a canon from Psalm 51’ (it sets verses 12 to 14). The opening five-voice section has the uppermost (soprano) voice stating a short melody twice while the lowest voice (second bass) carries the same theme at half speed (per augmentationem—in augmentation). The section which follows is a four-voice fugue (stretto, inversion and chromaticism abound) and the fugue finishes with a three-voice coda which leads into an antiphonal third section for six voices. The antiphony is between lower and upper voices—each time the lowest voice is in canon at the interval of a seventh with the highest voice (second bass following tenor in the lower-voice sections and second alto following soprano in the upper-voice sections). The fourth and final fugato section begins with a four-voice exposition and ends with an animated five-voice stretto.

There is salvation come to us,
To the merciful and the righteous.
His example is useless to those
Who have no desire to become blessed.
The faithful see Jesus Christ close by:
He has accomplished all of this for us,
He has become our Heavenly mediator.

Create in me a clean heart, O God;
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence;
And take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
And uphold me with thy free spirit.

The two unaccompanied motets of opus 29 were composed in the reverse order to that in which they appear in the list of Brahms’s works. Es ist das Heil uns kommen her (Op 29 No 1) was written in 1860 and begins the setting of its sixteenth-century text with a four-voice chorale. The chorale is followed by a five-voice fugal chorale-motet with the seven phrases of the chorale melody stated in the baritone part. Schaffe in mir, Gott (Op 29 No 2) was begun in 1856 and was described by Brahms as ‘a canon from Psalm 51’ (it sets verses 12 to 14). The opening five-voice section has the uppermost (soprano) voice stating a short melody twice while the lowest voice (second bass) carries the same theme at half speed (per augmentationem—in augmentation). The section which follows is a four-voice fugue (stretto, inversion and chromaticism abound) and the fugue finishes with a three-voice coda which leads into an antiphonal third section for six voices. The antiphony is between lower and upper voices—each time the lowest voice is in canon at the interval of a seventh with the highest voice (second bass following tenor in the lower-voice sections and second alto following soprano in the upper-voice sections). The fourth and final fugato section begins with a four-voice exposition and ends with an animated five-voice stretto.

Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit.